This application is related to and claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-310866 filed on Oct. 11, 2000, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving system for driving mode switching doors and a temperature control unit such as an air mixing door and a hot water valve in a vehicle air conditioner.
2. Description of Related Art
In a conventional vehicle air conditioner, an inside/outside switching door, mode switching doors and a temperature control unit such as an air mixing door and a hot water valve are independently operated by actuators (servomotors), respectively. Therefore, many actuators are required, thereby increasing production cost of the vehicle air conditioner.
In view of the foregoing problems, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a vehicle air conditioner in which a temperature control unit and a mode switching member can be operated by one actuator while a temperature control can be performed in the entire temperature range between the lowest temperature and the highest temperature in each air outlet mode.
Further, it is a second object of the present invention to provide a vehicle air conditioner where an automatic mode and a manual mode can be set while a temperature control unit and a mode switching member can be operated by one actuator. In the automatic mode, one of air outlet modes is automatically switched in accordance with an operation position of the temperature control unit. In the manual mode, the air modes are manually switched at any time by an operation of a passenger.
According to the present invention, a temperature control unit for controlling the temperature of air blown into the passenger compartment is provided, a mode switching member for opening and closing openings from which air is blown toward plural positions of a passenger compartment is provided to selectively switch to one mode from a plurality of air outlet modes, and a single actuator is provided for driving both the temperature control unit and the mode switching member through a link member. In the air conditioner, the temperature control unit is changed by a temperature control pattern between the lowest temperature position and the highest temperature position in every predetermined operation range of the actuator. The temperature control unit is operated by a plurality of temperature control patterns being cyclically repeated in the entire operation range of the actuator, and the actuator is provided to operate the mode switching member at a predetermined air outlet mode corresponding to each temperature control pattern.
Accordingly, the air temperature control and the mode switching operation can be performed by a single actuator. In each of the plurality of air outlet modes, the temperature control can be performed in the entire temperature range between the lowest temperature and the highest temperature of the temperature control unit using the temperature control pattern where the control position of the temperature control unit is changed between the lowest temperature position and the highest temperature position in each of the air outlet modes. Thus, when a defroster mode, where air is blown from a defroster opening toward a windshield, is set as one mode of the air outlet modes, the defroster mode can be set at any time such as a time where the windshield is fogged.
Preferably, the link member is disposed to have a predetermined stopping area between adjacent two temperature control patterns, an operation position of the temperature control unit is fixed even when the actuator operates in the predetermined stopping area, and the mode switching member performs a mode switch operation when the actuator operates in the predetermined stopping area. Accordingly, the temperature control unit and the mode switching member can be suitably driven by the single actuator.
More preferably, in one of the temperature control patterns, when the operation position of the temperature control unit is changed between the lowest temperature position and the highest temperature position, the mode switching door automatically switches between the air outlet modes in a predetermined automatic control pattern. On the other hand, in each of the other temperature control patterns, even when the operation position of the temperature control unit is changed between the lowest temperature position and the highest temperature position, the mode switching member sets one fixed air outlet mode. In addition, the air outlet modes fixed in the other temperature control patterns, respectively, are different from each other. Accordingly, in the automatic mode, one of air outlet modes is automatically switched in accordance with an operation position of the temperature control unit. On the other hand, in the manual mode, the air modes are manually switched at any time by an operation of a passenger.
Preferably, the link member includes a distribution link rotated by the actuator. One surface of the distribution link defines a temperature-control engagement groove through which the operation position of the temperature control unit is changed based on the temperature control patterns. The other surface of the distribution link defines a mode-switching engagement groove through which the mode switching member is operated to a position corresponding to a predetermined air outlet mode. Therefore, the temperature control unit and the mode switching member can be readily driven by the single actuator through the link member.
Further, the mode switching engagement groove has an automatic setting groove for automatically switching between the air outlet modes using the mode switching member, and a manual setting groove for manually switching between the air outlet modes using the mode switching member. The mode switching member automatically switches between the air outlet modes through the automatic setting groove in accordance with a change of the operation position of the temperature control unit in a first operation range of the distribution link, and the mode switching member is fixed to one of the mode operation positions through the manual setting groove irrespective of the change of the operation position of the temperature control unit in a second operation range different from the first operation range of the distribution link.
Alternatively, the link member includes a first position adjusting mechanism for adjusting the operation position of the temperature control unit in accordance with a rotation position of the actuator, and a second position adjusting mechanism for adjusting an operation position of the mode switching member in accordance with the rotation position of the actuator. Further, the temperature control pattern is cyclically repeated a plurality of times through the first position adjusting mechanism, and the second position adjusting mechanism adjusts the operation position of the mode switching member in accordance with a cyclical change of the temperature control pattern. Accordingly, the temperature control unit and the mode switching member can be readily and accurately operated by the single actuator.